Wagon-tongue support



H. MATHEWS. WAGON TONGUE SUPPORT.

APPLICflTION FILED AUG-2 I918. RENEWED JULY 12. 1919.

Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

W mmy HARTER MATHEWS, 0F BATESBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA.

WAGON-TONGUE SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

Application filed August 2, 1918, Serial No. 248,044. Renewed July 12, 1919. Serial No. 310,455.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARTER MATHEWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Batesburg, in the county of Lexington and State of South Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wagon-Tongue Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wagons, particularly to tongue supports, and has for its object the provision of a supporting member pivotally associated with a wagon tongue and movable to be disposed in a substantially vertical position below the tongue whereby the tongue may be supported when the wagon is not in use.

An important object is the provision of a device of this character provided with novel means whereby the support may be held in an elevated position against the tongue when the wagon is'in use and when the support is not required.

A further object is the provision of a device of this character which will be extremely simple and inexpensive in manufacture, efficient and durable in use, and a general improvement of the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illus trated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tongue support in operative position supporting the tongue of a wagon.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the support swung to its inoperative position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 38 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 4c is a perspective view of the retaining member.

Referring more particularly to the draw ing, the letter A designates the tongue of a wagon to which my device, designated by the letter B, is applied.

In carrying out my invention I provide a supporting structure comprising a pair of spaced bars 5 disposed on opposite sides of the tongue A and pivotally connected therewith by a bolt 6 which passes through the tongue and through the ends of the bars 5. The bars 5 are connected intermediate their ends by a transverse strip 7 whereby they may be moved in unison.

When it is desired to support the tongue A, the support constituted by the bars 5, is swung downwardly into a substantially vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1.

In order that the support may be held in inoperative position, I provide retaining members 8 which may be formed of any suitable material and which are shaped as shown in Fig. 4. These members each include a plate like body 9 pivotally secured upon the sides of the tongue A by the bolt 10. These members 8 hvae their upper ends recessed, as shown at 11, to provide shoulders 12. WVhen the use of the support is not desired it is swung upwardly into the position shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the bars 5 will be within the recesses 11 and be supported upon the shoulders 12. While the bars 5 are in engagement with these shoulders it will be impossible for the bars to be displaced until they are swung upwardly and forwardly and then downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 1.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will be apparent that I have thus provided a very simple and eflicient device whereby a wagon tongue may be supported above the ground and wherein very simple and eflicient means is provided for holding the tongue support in its elevated or inoperative position.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is A wagon tongue support comprising a pair of bars pivoted at one end upon the opposite sides of a wagon tongue, a transverse strip secured to said bars whereby they may be moved in unison, and a pair of retaining members disposed on opposite sides of the tongue and each including a plate like body having its upper portion recessed upon one side for the reception of one of said bars and to provide a shoulder serving as a support for the bar.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HARTER MATHEWS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

